Immigrants flood Omaha law office for help

President Trump made a campaign promise to cut down on illegal immigration into the U.S. That has caused a number of people in the country with various residency statuses to head to immigration law offices to seek help. Mark Curley with Curley Immigration Law in Omaha says they represent a number of clients with questions about their status.

Curley says they represent individuals who are in the country illegally, legally, DACA residents and employers. He says, “We advise them. We try to figure out if there is a way to get a legal status of the United States. Many times they have family members who can sponsor them and many times they don’t realize they are eligible for a program that would let them legalize. Many of them go back to their home countries, go to the consulate, get an interview and a visa and come back to the country legally.”

Curley says they also face people facing deportation in immigration court. He says their role is to make sure their rights are not violated as everyone has due process rights. He says there is an executive order that may come out today that will restrict people from coming into the U.S. from other countries. Curley says one of his clients was born in Iran, raised in Canada but is a permanent resident of the United States. He is concerned that if he goes back to Iran to visit family he will not be allowed back into the U.S. Curley says that is a real possibility.

President Trump is also targeting sanctuary cities and is threatening to withhold federal money from areas that protect individuals in the country illegally. Curley says contrary to what some believe, Omaha is not a sanctuary city. He says if something happens in Nebraska, local law enforcement requires that ICE present an order from a judge in order to detain an immigrant.